By Popular Demand...

So here you go - a couple of pregnancy pictures...

Me - the chubby-wubby hobbit checking my email. (last night)
"Samwise is my name... following Frodo is my game..." :-D
Okay - and the reason it is black and white is because it was kinda washed out and this was the best way to display.
It has nothing to do with my complexion or the fact that my feet are (again!) looking like freshly risen dough... ahem.

This one (below) Kurt took today - our 17-week picture (for the baby book):

Hmm.... perhaps I've grown into this pregnancy after all. Gadzooks - what a bump! Kurt told me today, "Your tummy has really gotten big this week!"
Thanks! :)
So nice to pass the "Has she just gained a ton of weight?" into the "So when are you due?" phase. Some stoned (as in "having recently partaken marijuana") guy in WalMart asked me that very question. So if he could see it, imagine what the rest of the world thinks. ;)
Anyway, the first few weeks of pictures have me looking like, "Hurry up and take the picture before I toss my cookies."
I definitely like my hair better this time around. When I cut it (not knowing I'd be pregnant in a few days/weeks) I thought "no big deal - it grows an inch a month". It hardly grew at all during that entire pregnancy! It took 9 months to reach just above my shoulders. Strange.
It grew like crazy after Autumn was born, and has continued since I've been pregnant. Maybe it's a boy this time? Gotta be something different...

So there you are! Some pictures! :)

In other BManzII news - I've felt the little one moving around pretty consistently since 15 weeks. Actually I think it was more around 14 weeks - but all the books say that is way too early. So I bow to obstetrical wisdom - 15 weeks it is!
It's such a blessing - it is making this child seem so much more real. Creating a distinction between Autumn and her little brother/sister is bittersweet. I am missing her so much - reliving what my experiences were with her only a year ago. And yet I know that this child isn't her... and I'm thankful for the opportunity to have another one.

Last week I was actually really afraid. I spent so much time waiting for the first movement - and when they started I was so thankful. But Friday and Saturday I didn't feel a thing. Thankfully, I was distracted by lots of stuff (like moving!) - but it gave me lots of opportunity to pray - and I realized that this is going to be a battle until the end of the pregnancy. After lots of prayer and waiting - early Sunday morning I felt some flutters again. He/she hasn't stopped very much since... for which I am so grateful. I give myself permission to touch my tummy, and talk to him/her - and maybe even dream a little about what it will be like to hold our second child in a few months. Cautious - but hopeful.

I read on one of the pregnancy updates for 17 weeks that the baby can hear loud sounds now - so Kurt spent a little bit of time yelling loving words at my tummy this morning. ;) (kidding - he didn't yell...) but we're really hoping everything is developing normally. As you can tell, size shouldn't be a problem. (chuckle) But I've spent some time worrying that his/her kidneys, or heart, or brain or spinal cord... (name it!) will have something wrong... and again - giving it all back to God has been an effort - but knowing He hasn't dropped us so far is a great comfort. Lord willing, we'll make it through next week's ultrasound with minimal stress and come out joyful. :)

So thanks for checking and reading everyone. I really appreciated all the emails while I've been "gone". Hopefully gaps will be soon reduced.

Talk to you soon!